


Forgive and Forget

by drakkynfyre47



Category: Hogan's Heroes
Genre: Fix-It, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 22:45:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1834954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drakkynfyre47/pseuds/drakkynfyre47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fix-it for the episode "Drums Along the Dusseldorf".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgive and Forget

**Author's Note:**

> I just hated the fact that Newkirk and LeBeau kept making fun of Carter's Sioux heritage. So I tried to fix it. Please let me know if it worked or not.

“Come on, Carter! Teach us the rain-dance. Please?” Newkirk asked, leaning on the bunk next to Carter.  


“Just a little one?” LeBeau put in.  


The two of them had been pestering Carter for almost an hour now, and Kinch was done with it. “Are you two finished?” he snapped.  


Both men looked over at him, surprise plainly showing on their faces. “It’s just a joke, Kinch,” Newkirk said.  


“Well, cut it out. It’s not funny,” Kinch said.  


“Okay, Kinch,” LeBeau said. “We’ll stop.” He elbowed Newkirk in the ribs pointedly, heading back to the stove to continue cooking.  


“Fine, fine,” Newkirk muttered, pulling out his pack of cards and dealing himself a game of solitaire. Kinch smiled bitterly, enjoying the small victory over prejudice.  


His enjoyment was unfortunately cut short when Carter finished making the bow almost an hour later.  


“There, I’m done,” the young sergeant announced.  


“Now will you teach us the rain dance?” Newkirk wanted to know.  


“Please?” LeBeau asked.  


“No, I’m not gonna teach you a rain dance. Stop asking me,” Carter said.  


"Why not?"  


“Newkirk, what part about ‘cut it out’ did you fail to understand?” Kinch asked, cold fury beginning to rise within him.  


“Kinch, it’s a joke-” the Englishman began.  


Carter interrupted both of them. “Kinch, I want to deal with this on my own.”  


Kinch looked at Carter for a long moment. “Okay, Andrew,” he finally said.  


“Newkirk, LeBeau, could I talk to you outside a minute?” Carter asked.  


“Sure, Carter,” LeBeau said. They followed Carter out of the barracks.  


When they were all outside, Carter shut the door, then turned to face Newkirk and LeBeau. "Guys, it's really not funny. At all. I mean, me and my cousins got teased enough at school, and now I don't wanna have to take it anymore. It really hurts, you know. I thought that--I thought that here, I wouldn't get made fun of. You guys never make fun of Kinch or Baker, or treat them any different, so I th-thought nobody would say anything. Especially not you guys, because we're friends. Well, I thought we were friends, anyway," Carter said. By the end of his statement, he was obviously close to tears, one knuckle jammed against his mouth in an effort to keep from crying. "So just please stop, okay?" He turned and walked quickly around to the side of the barracks, and Newkirk and LeBeau could hear him crying quietly.  


They exchanged a glance, the silence growing more and more uncomfortable. "Well, I feel like a right bastard," Newkirk said eventually.  


"Me too," said LeBeau. “It really wasn’t funny.”  


Newkirk glanced down. “I guess we should go apologize.”  


“No,” LeBeau said. “Not right now. He’s too upset to deal with it. Wait until later tonight.”  


Newkirk paused. “I guess you’re right.”  


LeBeau slung an arm around Newkirk’s shoulders. “Let’s just go back inside. When Carter comes back in we’ll apologize.”  


Newkirk nodded, and they reentered the barracks. Kinch glanced up from his book. “I hope Carter knocked some sense into you.”  


“He did,” LeBeau assured him.  


“Good,” Kinch said. “Because if you ever make another comment like that to Carter, I will personally beat you bloody. Racial slurs are not something to joke around with.” His voice was cold, hard, unforgiving. The entire barracks was silent. No one had seen Kinch like this before. He was usually the level-headed one, the calming influence.  


“You don’t need to worry about that anymore, Kinch,” Newkirk said quietly. “I don’t think either of us will be making any more remarks.”  


Just then, Carter opened the door to the barracks. His eyes were red-rimmed, but he wasn’t crying. He went straight to his bunk and pulled out a book. LeBeau glanced at Newkirk. “André? I wanted to say that I’m sorry. Ignorance is no excuse, but I didn’t realize how much it hurt you. I promise I will not make fun of you anymore. Please forgive me.”  


Carter looked up at him. It wasn’t going to be easy to forgive either man, but he had to try. “I forgive you, Louis. Just please don’t do it again.”  


“I won’t,” LeBeau said softly. “I promise.”  


Newkirk sat at the table, shuffling the cards over and over, not playing solitaire, just fiddling with them, his back to Carter. Screwing up his courage, he turned around. “Andrew? Could we talk?”  


Carter hesitated. He didn't really want to talk to Newkirk, but he was going to have to, eventually. “Okay,” he said slowly.  


Newkirk bit his lower lip, and stepped outside. Carter followed him reluctantly.  


“I’m really sorry, Carter. I didn’t think- I just- oh, bloody hell, I’m not good at apologies.” The corporal snatched off his garrison cap, starting to pace a little. “I’m just sorry, Andrew. Really, I am.”  


“I thought you wouldn’t ever make fun of me like that. I mean, you’ve laughed at me, told me to shut up, but I didn’t think you’d ever really say something that hurt me.”  


“Neither did I,” the Englishman said, almost too softly to hear. "You 'ave every right to be mad at me."  


"I'm not very good at staying mad, though," Carter admitted. "I know I said this before, but what you guys did really hurt."  


"I know, Carter. I'm sorry."  


"If I'm gonna forgive and forget, you better promise to not do it again."  


"I promise. I really am sorry, Andrew."  


"I know, and that's why I'm willing to forgive and forget," Carter said.  


"Still friends, then?" Newkirk asked.  


"Of course," Carter replied.  


Newkirk smiled at him, put an arm around him, and said nothing at all.


End file.
